DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT
DREYFUS MASSACHUSETTS TAX EXEMPT BOND FUND
000 Xxxxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000-0000
August 24, 1994
Premier Mutual Fund Services, Inc.
Xxx Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx
Xxxxx Xxxxx
Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxxxxx 00000
Dear Sirs:
This is to confirm that, in consideration of the agree-
ments hereinafter contained, the above-named investment company
(the "Fund") has agreed that you shall be, for the period of
this agreement, the distributor of (a) shares of each Series of
the Fund set forth on Exhibit A hereto, as such Exhibit may be
revised from time to time (each, a "Series") or (b) if no Series
are set forth on such Exhibit, shares of the Fund. For purposes
of this agreement the term "Shares" shall mean the authorized
shares of the relevant Series, if any, and otherwise shall mean
the Fund's authorized shares.
1. Services as Distributor
1.1 You will act as agent for the distribution of
Shares covered by, and in accordance with, the registration
statement and prospectus then in effect under the Securities Act
of 1933, as amended, and will transmit promptly any orders
received by you for purchase or redemption of Shares to the
Transfer and Dividend Disbursing Agent for the Fund of which the
Fund has notified you in writing.
1.2 You agree to use your best efforts to solicit
orders for the sale of Shares. It is contemplated that you will
enter into sales or servicing agreements with securities
dealers, financial institutions and other industry
professionals, such as investment advisers, accountants and
estate planning firms, and in so doing you will act only on your
own behalf as principal.
1.3 You shall act as distributor of Shares in
compliance with all applicable laws, rules and regulations,
including, without limitation, all rules and regulations made or
adopted pursuant to the Investment Company Act of 1940, as
amended, by the Securities and Exchange Commission or any
securities association registered under the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, as amended.
1.4 Whenever in their judgment such action is
warranted by market, economic or political conditions, or by
abnormal circumstances of any kind, the Fund's officers may
decline to accept any orders for, or make any sales of, any
Shares until such time as they deem it advisable to accept such
orders and to make such sales and the Fund shall advise you
promptly of such determination.
1.5 The Fund agrees to pay all costs and expenses in
connection with the registration of Shares under the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended, and all expenses in connection with
maintaining facilities for the issue and transfer of Shares and
for supplying information, prices and other data to be furnished
by the Fund hereunder, and all expenses in connection with the
preparation and printing of the Fund's prospectuses and
statements of additional information for regulatory purposes and
for distribution to shareholders; provided however, that nothing
contained herein shall be deemed to require the Fund to pay any
of the costs of advertising the sale of Shares.
1.6 The Fund agrees to execute any and all documents
and to furnish any and all information and otherwise to take all
actions which may be reasonably necessary in the discretion of
the Fund's officers in connection with the qualification of
Shares for sale in such states as you may designate to the Fund
and the Fund may approve, and the Fund agrees to pay all
expenses which may be incurred in connection with such
qualification. You shall pay all expenses connected with your
own qualification as a dealer under state or Federal laws and,
except as otherwise specifically provided in this agreement, all
other expenses incurred by you in connection with the sale of
Shares as contemplated in this agreement.
1.7 The Fund shall furnish you from time to time, for
use in connection with the sale of Shares, such information with
respect to the Fund or any relevant Series and the Shares as you
may reasonably request, all of which shall be signed by one or
more of the Fund's duly authorized officers; and the Fund
warrants that the statements contained in any such information,
when so signed by the Fund's officers, shall be true and
correct. The Fund also shall furnish you upon request with:
(a) semi-annual reports and annual audited reports of the Fund's
books and accounts made by independent public accountants
regularly retained by the Fund, (b) quarterly earnings
statements prepared by the Fund, (c) a monthly itemized list of
the securities in the Fund's or, if applicable, each Series'
portfolio, (d) monthly balance sheets as soon as practicable
after the end of each month, and (e) from time to time such
additional information regarding the Fund's financial condition
as you may reasonably request.
1.8 The Fund represents to you that all registration
statements and prospectuses filed by the Fund with the Securi-
ties and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended, and under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as
amended, with respect to the Shares have been carefully prepared
in conformity with the requirements of said Acts and rules and
regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission there-
under. As used in this agreement the terms "registration state-
ment" and "prospectus" shall mean any registration statement and
prospectus, including the statement of additional information
incorporated by reference therein, filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission and any amendments and supplements thereto
which at any time shall have been filed with said Commission.
The Fund represents and warrants to you that any registration
statement and prospectus, when such registration statement
becomes effective, will contain all statements required to be
stated therein in conformity with said Acts and the rules and
regulations of said Commission; that all statements of fact
contained in any such registration statement and prospectus will
be true and correct when such registration statement becomes
effective; and that neither any registration statement nor any
prospectus when such registration statement becomes effective
will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to
state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary
to make the statements therein not misleading. The Fund may but
shall not be obligated to propose from time to time such amend-
ment or amendments to any registration statement and such
supplement or supplements to any prospectus as, in the light of
future developments, may, in the opinion of the Fund's counsel,
be necessary or advisable. If the Fund shall not propose such
amendment or amendments and/or supplement or supplements within
fifteen days after receipt by the Fund of a written request from
you to do so, you may, at your option, terminate this agreement
or decline to make offers of the Fund's securities until such
amendments are made. The Fund shall not file any amendment to
any registration statement or supplement to any prospectus
without giving you reasonable notice thereof in advance;
provided, however, that nothing contained in this agreement
shall in any way limit the Fund's right to file at any time such
amendments to any registration statement and/or supplements to
any prospectus, of whatever character, as the Fund may deem
advisable, such right being in all respects absolute and
unconditional.
1.9 The Fund authorizes you to use any prospectus in
the form furnished to you from time to time, in connection with
the sale of Shares. The Fund agrees to indemnify, defend and
hold you, your several officers and directors, and any person
who controls you within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securi-
ties Act of 1933, as amended, free and harmless from and against
any and all claims, demands, liabilities and expenses (including
the cost of investigating or defending such claims, demands or
liabilities and any counsel fees incurred in connection there-
with) which you, your officers and directors, or any such con-
trolling person, may incur under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, or under common law or otherwise, arising out of or
based upon any untrue statement, or alleged untrue statement, of
a material fact contained in any registration statement or any
prospectus or arising out of or based upon any omission, or
alleged omission, to state a material fact required to be stated
in either any registration statement or any prospectus or
necessary to make the statements in either thereof not
misleading; provided, however, that the Fund's agreement to
indemnify you, your officers or directors, and any such control-
ling person shall not be deemed to cover any claims, demands,
liabilities or expenses arising out of any untrue statement or
alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in
any registration statement or prospectus in reliance upon and in
conformity with written information furnished to the Fund by you
specifically for use in the preparation thereof. The Fund's
agreement to indemnify you, your officers and directors, and any
such controlling person, as aforesaid, is expressly conditioned
upon the Fund's being notified of any action brought against
you, your officers or directors, or any such controlling person,
such notification to be given by letter or by telegram addressed
to the Fund at its address set forth above within ten days after
the summons or other first legal process shall have been served.
The failure so to notify the Fund of any such action shall not
relieve the Fund from any liability which the Fund may have to
the person against whom such action is brought by reason of any
such untrue, or alleged untrue, statement or omission, or
alleged omission, otherwise than on account of the Fund's
indemnity agreement contained in this paragraph 1.9. The Fund
will be entitled to assume the defense of any suit brought to
enforce any such claim, demand or liability, but, in such case,
such defense shall be conducted by counsel of good standing
chosen by the Fund and approved by you. In the event the Fund
elects to assume the defense of any such suit and retain counsel
of good standing approved by you, the defendant or defendants in
such suit shall bear the fees and expenses of any additional
counsel retained by any of them; but in case the Fund does not
elect to assume the defense of any such suit, or in case you do
not approve of counsel chosen by the Fund, the Fund will
reimburse you, your officers and directors, or the controlling
person or persons named as defendant or defendants in such suit,
for the fees and expenses of any counsel retained by you or
them. The Fund's indemnification agreement contained in this
paragraph 1.9 and the Fund's representations and warranties in
this agreement shall remain operative and in full force and
effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of
you, your officers and directors, or any controlling person, and
shall survive the delivery of any Shares. This agreement of
indemnity will inure exclusively to your benefit, to the benefit
of your several officers and directors, and their respective
estates, and to the benefit of any controlling persons and their
successors. The Fund agrees promptly to notify you of the
commencement of any litigation or proceedings against the Fund
or any of its officers or Board members in connection with the
issue and sale of Shares.
1.10 You agree to indemnify, defend and hold the Fund,
its several officers and Board members, and any person who con-
trols the Fund within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securi-
ties Act of 1933, as amended, free and harmless from and against
any and all claims, demands, liabilities and expenses (including
the cost of investigating or defending such claims, demands or
liabilities and any counsel fees incurred in connection there-
with) which the Fund, its officers or Board members, or any such
controlling person, may incur under the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended, or under common law or otherwise, but only to the
extent that such liability or expense incurred by the Fund, its
officers or Board members, or such controlling person resulting
from such claims or demands, shall arise out of or be based upon
any untrue, or alleged untrue, statement of a material fact
contained in information furnished in writing by you to the Fund
specifically for use in the Fund's registration statement and
used in the answers to any of the items of the registration
statement or in the corresponding statements made in the pro-
spectus, or shall arise out of or be based upon any omission, or
alleged omission, to state a material fact in connection with
such information furnished in writing by you to the Fund and
required to be stated in such answers or necessary to make such
information not misleading. Your agreement to indemnify the
Fund, its officers and Board members, and any such controlling
person, as aforesaid, is expressly conditioned upon your being
notified of any action brought against the Fund, its officers or
Board members, or any such controlling person, such notification
to be given by letter or telegram addressed to you at your
address set forth above within ten days after the summons or
other first legal process shall have been served. You shall
have the right to control the defense of such action, with
counsel of your own choosing, satisfactory to the Fund, if such
action is based solely upon such alleged misstatement or
omission on your part, and in any other event the Fund, its
officers or Board members, or such controlling person shall each
have the right to participate in the defense or preparation of
the defense of any such action. The failure so to notify you of
any such action shall not relieve you from any liability which
you may have to the Fund, its officers or Board members, or to
such controlling person by reason of any such untrue, or alleged
untrue, statement or omission, or alleged omission, otherwise
than on account of your indemnity agreement contained in this
paragraph 1.10. This agreement of indemnity will inure
exclusively to the Fund's benefit, to the benefit of the Fund's
officers and Board members, and their respective estates, and to
the benefit of any controlling persons and their successors.
You agree promptly to notify the Fund of the commencement of any
litigation or proceedings against you or any of your officers or
directors in connection with the issue and sale of Shares.
1.11 No Shares shall be offered by either you or the
Fund under any of the provisions of this agreement and no orders
for the purchase or sale of such Shares hereunder shall be
accepted by the Fund if and so long as the effectiveness of the
registration statement then in effect or any necessary amend-
ments thereto shall be suspended under any of the provisions of
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or if and so long as a
current prospectus as required by Section 10 of said Act, as
amended, is not on file with the Securities and Exchange
Commission; provided, however, that nothing contained in this
paragraph 1.11 shall in any way restrict or have an application
to or bearing upon the Fund's obligation to repurchase any
Shares from any shareholder in accordance with the provisions of
the Fund's prospectus or charter documents.
1.12 The Fund agrees to advise you immediately in
writing:
(a) of any request by the Securities and Exchange
Commission for amendments to the registration statement
or prospectus then in effect or for additional
information;
(b) in the event of the issuance by the Securities
and Exchange Commission of any stop order suspending
the effectiveness of the registration statement or pro-
spectus then in effect or the initiation of any
proceeding for that purpose;
(c) of the happening of any event which makes
untrue any statement of a material fact made in the
registration statement or prospectus then in effect or
which requires the making of a change in such registra-
tion statement or prospectus in order to make the
statements therein not misleading; and
(d) of all actions of the Securities and
Exchange Commission with respect to any amendments to
any registration statement or prospectus which may from
time to time be filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission.
2. Offering Price
Shares of any class of the Fund offered for sale by you
shall be offered for sale at a price per share (the "offering
price") approximately equal to (a) their net asset value
(determined in the manner set forth in the Fund's charter
documents) plus (b) a sales charge, if any and except to those
persons set forth in the then-current prospectus, which shall be
the percentage of the offering price of such Shares as set forth
in the Fund's then-current prospectus. The offering price, if
not an exact multiple of one cent, shall be adjusted to the
nearest cent. In addition, Shares of any class of the Fund
offered for sale by you may be subject to a contingent deferred
sales charge as set forth in the Fund's then-current prospectus.
You shall be entitled to receive any sales charge or contingent
deferred sales charge in respect of the Shares. Any payments to
dealers shall be governed by a separate agreement between you
and such dealer and the Fund's then-current prospectus.
3. Term
This agreement shall continue until the date (the
"Reapproval Date") set forth on Exhibit A hereto (and, if the
Fund has Series, a separate Reapproval Date shall be specified
on Exhibit A for each Series), and thereafter shall continue
automatically for successive annual periods ending on the day
(the "Reapproval Day") of each year set forth on Exhibit A
hereto, provided such continuance is specifically approved at
least annually by (i) the Fund's Board or (ii) vote of a
majority (as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940) of
the Shares of the Fund or the relevant Series, as the case may
be, provided that in either event its continuance also is
approved by a majority of the Board members who are not
"interested persons" (as defined in said Act) of any party to
this agreement, by vote cast in person at a meeting called for
the purpose of voting on such approval. This agreement is
terminable without penalty, on 60 days' notice, by vote of
holders of a majority of the Fund's or, as to any relevant
Series, such Series' outstanding voting securities or by the
Fund's Board as to the Fund or the relevant Series, as the case
may be. This agreement is terminable by you, upon 270 days'
notice, effective on or after the fifth anniversary of the date
hereof. This agreement also will terminate automatically, as to
the Fund or relevant Series, as the case may be, in the event of
its assignment (as defined in said Act).
4. Exclusivity
So long as you act as the distributor of Shares, you
shall not perform any services for any entity other than
investment companies advised or administered by The Dreyfus
Corporation. The Fund acknowledges that the persons employed by
you to assist in the performance of your duties under this
agreement may not devote their full time to such service and
nothing contained in this agreement shall be deemed to limit or
restrict your or any of your affiliates right to engage in and
devote time and attention to other businesses or to render
services of whatever kind or nature.
5. Miscellaneous
This agreement has been executed on behalf of the Fund
by the undersigned officer of the Fund in his capacity as an
officer of the Fund. The obligations of this agreement shall
only be binding upon the assets and property of the Fund and
shall not be binding upon any Board member, officer or
shareholder of the Fund individually.
Please confirm that the foregoing is in accordance with
your understanding and indicate your acceptance hereof by
signing below, whereupon it shall become a binding agreement
between us.
Very truly yours,
DREYFUS MASSACHUSETTS TAX EXEMPT
BOND FUND
By:
Accepted:
PREMIER MUTUAL FUND SERVICES, INC.
By:________________________
EXHIBIT A
Reapproval Date Reapproval Day
May 24, 1996 May 24th
